Girl and grandfather attacked in knife assault outside Los Angeles home

A 12-year-old girl and her grandfather were setting off for school when a neighbour suddenly attacked them with a knife, stabbing both before fleeing from the scene in Sunland, Los Angeles, police say.

Gayane Ananyan watched in horror as blood stained the fence outside her home. Fighting back tears, she said through a translator that her granddaughter and husband were preparing to leave when the attack unfolded, reports CBS’ KCBS TV.

Her granddaughter suffered stab wounds to the arm and neck. Her husband was stabbed in the neck.

Security footage captured the suspect walking up to them, striking without warning, then climbing into their car and driving away. Officers later found the vehicle abandoned about a mile from the house.

Neighbours say the girl has since been released from hospital. Her grandfather underwent surgery.

Police arrested a 31-year-old man who lives next door to the family. Relatives say he has struggled with addiction and mental health issues and had moved in and out of the home over recent years.

Residents say they had long feared something like this would happen.

"We’ve been having lots of problems with him. He’s been arrested multiple times. We’ve called the police multiple time... and nothing happens," one neighbour said.

She added that the ongoing trouble was why she installed security cameras.

"We knew something was gonna happen sometime, and sadly, it was today."

Police say the suspect is in custody and they are reviewing previous calls linked to the address, according to local authorities.